Bowling ball with handle

ABSTRACT

In a preferred embodiment, a bowling ball having a handle formed therein, the handle made by an inset having a cavity within the inset, the cavity having the general shape of the side view of a person&#39;s hand with fingers closed toward the person&#39;s palm. In the preferred embodiment, the inset is screwed into the ball. As a variant, the inset is pressed into a hole made in the ball and held in place by action of truncated threads, with force provided by a spring.

FIELD

This invention relates to sports equipment, and more specifically to bowling balls having a handle.

BACKGROUND

There are an estimated 26 million bowlers in the world. Bowling is a sport that can be practiced by young and old, and is enjoyed by neophytes as well as professionals. However, bowling balls can be quite heavy and cumbersome, especially to those persons who have arthritis of the hands and fingers, as is common for the elderly. Even young persons have difficulty bowling because to the stress placed upon a few fingers when hurling a ball down the alley.

What is needed, but has not yet been invented, prior to this inventor's disclosure below, is a bowling ball that may be used by elderly people or people with impaired grip.

SUMMARY

Therefore in recognition of the need for a bowling ball that is easier to use and to carry, herein is disclosed a bowling ball having a handle that may be easily gripped, the handle being removable or replaceable.

In the exemplary embodiment, the handle is formed separately from the bowling ball as an inset, and is inserted into the bowling ball after a portion of the bowling ball is removed to accept the handle. When the handle is integrated with the ball, the ball and handle function as one continuous object; the handle shaped to permit the bowler's hand to easily and comfortably grasp the handle to hold and carry the bowling ball, and yet not interfere unduly with the dynamics of the ball when it rolls. Because the handle is formed as part of the ball, and in lieu of holes normally drilled into a ball, it is not anticipated that the cost of manufacture of a ball with a handle inset will be significantly different from a traditional ball.

The bowling ball with handle has obvious advantages; the primary advantage is that with the handle even those persons who are physically impaired can enjoy the sport of bowling.

A second advantage is that a bowler does not have to incur the additional expense of acquiring a carrier.

A third advantage is that since the ball and carrier is a single integrated object, the chances of losing the carrier are eliminated.

And a fourth advantage is that the time required to pack or unpack a ball are eliminated; the bowler merely grasps the handle to lift and move the bowling ball.

And finally, with a separate handle that can be added to a bowling ball, it will be appreciated a bowling ball can be easily modified to provide a handle to those bowlers who need or desire such.

Additional objects, advantages, and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with practice of the invention.

To achieve the foregoing and other objectives, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, a bowling ball having a handle formed therein, the handle made by forming at least one hole within the ball, the hole made to accept and retain a removable inset having a cavity in the general shape of the side view of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm. And further in accordance with the purpose of the invention, an inset for a bowling ball, the inset made to provide a handle to the bowling ball, the handle made by forming at least one cavity within the inset, the cavity having the general shape of the side view of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows the preferred embodiment wherein an inset for making a handle in a bowling ball, with a handle formed in the inset by a cavity in the inset, wherein the cavity has the general shape of the side view of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm.

FIG. 1B shows the inset having a cavity with a shape similar to that of the side of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm.

FIG. 2 shows a variation of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Preferred Embodiment

FIG. 1A shows a preferred embodiment 1000, wherein a handle is formed in the bowling ball 1100 by an inset 1400. Material is removed from the bowling ball 1100 by use of a router or similar tool, to form a hole 1200 in the bowling ball 1000, the hole 1200 having dimensions necessary to accommodate the inset 1400. Preferably, the hole is made with threads 1250 so that the inset 1400, also having threads 1410, may be screwed into the hole 1200. The inset 1400 is made with indents 1430 for engaging by a spanner wrench, by which the inset is turned. Optionally, the hole may be made without threads so the inset 1300 is inserted into the hole 1200 and glued or retained by other means.

With reference to FIG. 1B, the inset 1400 is shown, having a single cavity 1420, the cavity 1420 having an entrance 1422 and a termination 1424. The finger's of a bowler's hand are inserted into the entrance 1422 of the cavity 1420, and are cupped inside the cavity 1424, with ends of the person's fingers being received by the termination 1424 of the cavity 1420.

With reference to FIG. 1A, as the ball 1100 rolls, any point on the surface may contact the surface of the bowling alley, including the portion of the ball where the bowler's fingers enter the cavity 1420 forming the handle. Since that portion of the ball's handle is formed without material, when a point in proximity of the handle 1420 contacts the surface of the alley, the ball will drop slightly. However since the ball at the point of contact deviates only slightly from a perfect spheroid, the deviation from a perfect spheroid is very slight so that the rolling characteristics of the ball will be minimally impacted—no more than the affect on the ball from the finger holes in the ball.

When the inset has been inserted into the bowling ball, the inset has been made so the rotational moment of inertia of the ball is uniform, with minimal deviation from that of a standard bowling ball without the inset. The method of varying the material properties are selected from a set of methods comprising: (1) varying the density of the composite material from which the ball is formed, or (2) adding weights to compensate for material that is removed to form the handle to accept the inset.

A Variant of the Preferred Embodiment

With reference to FIG. 2, the inset 2400 has a single truncated thread 2450 rather than a plurality of threads as shown in FIG. 1A. In this variant the inset 1400 has a spring 2470, which rests under the inset 2400, and against the bottom of the hole 2200 made in the ball, therefore the spring 2470 exerts an upward pressure against the inset 2400. To install the inset 2400, the inset is pressed down into the ball with the spring 2470 beneath. The inset 2400 is turned with a spanner wrench engaging indents 2430 in the inset 2400. The inset is pressed down until the single thread 2450 is below the truncated thread 2250 in the hole 2200. The inset is turned so that the thread in the inset 2450 rides beneath the thread 2250 in the hole. The pressure exerted by the spring 2470 keeps the inset locked in place.

DISCLOSURE SUMMARY

The foregoing description of two embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variation are possible in the light of the above teachings. Modification to the size and dimensional relations of parts of the invention can obviously be made in response to varying hand sizes and age of bowlers. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the following claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled. 

1. A bowling ball with an inset made as a handle, the inset formed to accommodate a hand, the inset comprising a hollow volume made within the bowling ball, the inset formed in the shape of a hand with fingers curled toward the palm of the hand accommodated.
 2. An inset for a bowling ball, the inset for making an integrated handle within the bowling ball, the inset made to accommodate a hand, the inset comprising a hollow volume, the hollow volume formed in the shape of a hand with fingers curled toward the palm of the accommodated hand. 